In January, The Fighter director David O. Russell began negotiations to take over writing and directing Universal’s adaptation of the Boom! Studios comic book 2 Guns, which had been in development since 2008. With a script in place from TV writer Blake Masters (Brotherhood) and actors Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson attached to star as two undercover agents trying to investigate each other while pulling off a job to steal from the mafia and have no idea about the real identity of the other.

That leaves Wahlberg alone in 2 Guns with Masters' script. While Russell admitted to finishing a "really, really good" script for 2 Guns in June, the report claims that Universal will not use Russell's script.

The reason Russell dropped out was scheduling, as Universal reportedly wants to to start shooting 2 Guns this winter, the same time Russell will be busy directing The Silver Linings Playbook. Ironically, Wahlberg was set to star in The Silver Linings Playbook but had to drop out due to his commitment to noir drama Broken City. Wahlberg and Russell were also going to reunite for the adaptation of Playstation video game Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, until Sony and Russell parted ways. The two may have to wait until the Fighter sequel to work together again.

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Morgan Freeman is about to learn the distinction between a "trick" and an "illusion."

Variety reports that Freeman will play an ex-magician in Now You See Me, directed by Louis Leterrier (Clash of the Titans, The Incredible Hulk). Freeman joins a cast that includes Mark Ruffalo, Amanda Seyfried, and Jesse Eisenberg in a story about a team of FBI agents going up gainst the Four Horsemen, a group of master illusionists who pull off bank heists and throw the stolen money to their audiences. Freeman would play Thaddeus, who has been shunned by the world of magic for revealing the secrets behind other magician's illusions.

Eddie Murphy is going back behind the mic to lend his voice to Alcon Entertainment's big-screen version of the Hanna-Barbera animated TV series Hong Kong Phooey.

THR reports that Murphy will provide the voice of Penry, a dog who is granted mystical powers that allow him to walk, talk, and do kung fu. He then sets out to take down criminals as Hong Kong Phooey (the late Scatman Crothers was the voice of the character in the original 1970s cartoon).

Alex Zamm (Tooth Fairy 2) is directing the movie, which will mix animation and live action. Brett Ratner (the Rush Hour trilogy) will produce.